Embattled Twin Cities Archbishop John Nienstedt has hand-picked another bureaucrat to help him cling to and repair his damaged reputation. She’s Kathleen McChesney, who was hired by America’s bishops to head their new Office of Child Protection a decade ago.

McChesney is the quintessential bureaucrat, unwilling to challenge corruption and anxious to please her bosses. She was no ‘profile in courage’ when she helped US bishops out of a jam a decade ago. We doubt she will be now.

Whether Nienstedt shares a few carefully selected records with one retired bureaucrat or ten, or with one lay catholic or a dozen, it won’t matter.

Catholic officials can scream 'independent' over and over. But if they pick and pay the people they'll consult with, no one can truly believe those new 'hired hands' will be unbiased.

It's very smart and safe for Nienstedt to hire McChesney. She did the bidding for bishops a decade ago and she'll do this bishop's bidding now.

This is another in a carefully choreographed string of tiny moves and tiny gestures that Nienstedt and his public relations team believe will eventually fool many into thinking real changes are afoot when in fact they are not.

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Ms.Vosbury, I too noticed that right away……….nothing like truth, honesty and integrity in US Catholic leadership pronouncements. It really represents what all have come to expect from them…….“more smoke and mirrors” Doctor of B.S. (no, not Bachelor of Science)

Ellen Vosbury commented
2013-11-14 23:18:22 -0600

According to Kinsale’s website, McChesney’s doctorate is honorary—just in case the bishop gets too overheated with his praise. He’s been calling her “Dr. McChesney” in his press releases.

Mike Skiendzielewski commented
2013-11-14 19:12:53 -0600

Retiring from the field of law enforcement here in Philadelphia, there is nothing better to capture the attention of criminals (in this case, alleged child sexual abusers and conspirators/abettors) than the cold steel of handcuffs, fingerprint ink on the extremities, the spartan and unexciting cuisine of detention centers, and the appropriate fashion statement of the orange wardrobe.

As evidenced by the past few years of proceedings here in the City of Brotherly Love (the legal, genuine variety), local archdiocesan Catholic leadership have begun to realize just how serious their predicament really is, i.e., investigating legitimate abuse allegations, failing to act on the danger to children and subsequently moving (or hiding) the offender to another location, whether inside the archdiocese or elsewhere, where other children are placed at risk due to the CRIMINALCONDUCT of both the abuser as well as leadership co-conspirators.